Past exhibitions -- 2001

Three Views of Emptiness: Buddhism and the art of Tim Johnson, Lindy Lee and Peter Tyndall

9 October - 8 December 2001

detail A Person Looks At A Work of Art/ someone looks at something... LOGOS / HA HA (BUDDHA projection-space) 2000 - 2001 Artist: Peter Tyndall Courtesy: Anna Schwartz Gallery, Melbourne - © copyright the artist

This exhibition presents new and existing works by three prominent contemporary artists whose work has been inspired by Buddhism, a way of life of profound importance to each artist, and a rapidly growing religion in Australia.

Curated by Linda Michael, this exhibition includes new works by these artists, all of whom have come to Buddhism from a background within Western culture and art history. All three are prominent practitioners whose careers have spanned conceptual art, appropriation and postmodernism.

Sunyata has been described as the 'open dimension of being' and emerges from an understanding that while we discriminate between thoughts and objects in the everyday world, from a different perspective all is transient and insubstantial, part of an ever-changing causal chain of growth and decay.

Lindy Lee Lily-Amah 2001 photocopy, acrylic, oil, wax and ink on board, 166 x 147.5cm (20 panels) Collection the artist, Courtesy Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney Photograph: John Brash © copyright the artist

The resulting idea that no thing has intrinsic existence is not a nihilistic concept, but one that provides a liberating framework for these artists, who make references to the teachings and iconography of Buddhism and explore its deeper philosophical ramifications.

Each artist developed their art practice at a time when the integrity of the art object and ideas of originality and self-expression were being questioned. Their work approaches art from a wider context, looking at the relationship of the viewer to the work of art, or at art's relationship to being or consciousness. These approaches have a particular empathy with Buddhist ideas.

Johnson, Lee and Tyndall ask us to think about the relationship of art to a world in which everything is interconnected and impermanent - an idea central to Buddhist thought. In making her recent 'splat' paintings, Lindy Lee surrenders her own creative self to open up to forces from the outside world.

Tim Johnson Green Tara 2001 synthetic polymer paint on plaster, wire, plastic flowers Collection the artist, Courtesy Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne Photograph: John Brash © copyright the artist